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 MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD ...Could Iran's Israeli-hating president actually be Jewish? |
Don't believe all the rumors
and don't help spread 'em
of TheColumnists.com
Imagine that these were some of the gossip items being passed around in barber shops, bars, and the floor of the stock exchange:
. That Laura Bush was about to file for divorce against former President George Bush.
. That the company that makes Tiger Woods’ golf balls manufactures a special ball for Woods that allows him to hit drives longer than most golfers.
. That Iran’s controversial anti-Israeli President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is really Jewish.
These whoppers would be discounted by anybody
with a whit of intelligence.
If the same stretchers were passed around blog websites, it would
be one step beyond the barber shops, bars, etc. but it would
be given just as little credence as nothing more than the kind
of poppycock that fascinates the pointy-heads among us.
But suppose a reputable newspaper passed on one of these fictions. That would give the rumor, however untrue, the stamp of legitimacy strictly because it was printed in the newspaper. This would be so even if the newspaper ridiculed the rumor even as it was printing it.
An incident of this nature occurred recently in which a Philadelphia Inquirer sports columnist who showed himself badly in need of a course in Journalism 01 repeated an unsubstantiated rumor on the blogosphere that libeled Philadelphia outfielder Raoul Ibanez.
Some blogs noted that the Phillies’ newcomer, Ibanez, at 37, was bashing the ball in a manner he had never before exhibited in his career. The anonymous blogs wondered if he were under the influence of illegal, performance-enhancing drugs. There was no proof offered, nothing worthy of serious consideration by any fair-minded observer.
It was enough, though, for Inquirer columnist John Gonzalez to repeat the rumor and spread it into the public discourse. He justified this by saying it was all over the blogs. The thing mushroomed further because a colleague on the Inquirer staff, Jim Salisbury, did the correct journalistic thing by taking the matter to Ibanez himself, allowing him to give a heated denial, while expressing outrage about the rumor.
Gonzalez, who strayed from the wise-guy juvenile humor that is his stock in trade, lamented that such was the state of affairs today about tainted baseball druggies that an Ibanez would have to suffer such suspicion. That lame excuse mattered little in light of his having publicized the item in the first place. He was no better than the blogger who also gave legitimate factors that explained Ibanez’ improved play, but only after first casting suspicion on the Phillie stalwart.
The responsible journalist takes note of such a rumor and checks it out behind the scenes. If he can substantiate it with reliable sources, he then can print it. If not, he treats it for what it is, a worthless item that gets no checking by a blogger, one that even a gossip columnist shouldn’t touch.
In a sterling salvo of mealy-mouthed prose, Gonzalez concluded his exercise in hypocrisy by writing, “Until there’s proof to the contrary, shouldn’t all of us--from the traditional mainstream to bloggers--be judicious about calling people cheaters? It’s easier to sling mud than ever before, which is why we need to be careful when taking aim.”
And the powers that be at the Inquirer ought to be judicious by giving the license of a sports column only to adults.
RESPONSE TO HOCHMAN'S LIST
The paen here to Stan Hochman last week included a list of people Hochman liked and disliked in his 50 years at The Pbiladelphia Daily News. As a contemporary who covered many of the same public personalities as Hochman, I am inspired to list the same.
I liked: Bill Veeck, Casey Stengel, Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, Carl Erskine, Stan Musial, Richie Ashburn, Jim Bouton, Tony Kubek, Chico Ruiz, Roger Craig, Larry Bearnarth, Mark Freeman, Lou Piniella, Tommy Henrich, JoJo Moore, Leo Durocher, Buzzy Bavasi, Roberto Clemente, Joe Torre, Ralph Kiner, Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe, Ted Atkinson, Richard Migliore, Allen Jerkens, Jack Dreyfus, Stymie, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Al Oerter, Ruben Carter, Angelo Dundee, Norman Mailer, Weeb Ewbank, Art Rooney, Jim Brown, Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Walt Frazier, John Havlicek, Red Holzman, Harry Edwards, Chico Resch, John Madden, Larry Merchant, Marty Glickman, Woody Broun, Bud Collins, Bob Costas, Mary Carillo, Keith Olbermann, Tim McCarver, TV technicians Mike Weisman, Chet Forte, Ted Nathanson--and Muhammad Ali.
I disliked: Walter O’Malley, Howard Cosell, Vince Lombardi, Sam Huff, Ralph Houk, Mickey Mantle, Frank Crosetti, Hank Bauer, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Eugene McCarthy, John Carlos, Steve Carlton, Father Dudley--and Muhammad Ali.
©2009 by Stan Isaacs. The Stan Isaacs caricature is ©2001 by Jim Hummel. The photo is courtesy of Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia. This column first posted June 29, 2009.
TO ACCESS STAN ISAACS' ARCHIVE OF COLUMNS ON THIS SITE, CLICK HERE: ISAACS ARCHIVE
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